U''U':-<i:' 







Class 



S. 57th Congress, 1 HOUSE OF REPRESEXTATIVES. | Doci'ment 

2d Session. J j No. 462. 



MEMORIAL ADDRESSES 



LIFE AND CHARACTER 



ROUSSEAU 0, 



D 



(Late a Representative from Michigan), 



DELIVERED IN THE 



HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND SENATE 



FIFTY-SEVENTH CONGRESS. 



WASHINGTON: 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 

1903- 




3=3i£JlKl„K(g)DJ)g@g£i.y 'ej . s If i i u i y [p^ 



TABLE OF CONTENTS. 



Page. 

Proceedings in the House 5 

Address of Mr. Alpin, of Michigan 8 

Address of Mr. Bishop, of Michigan 12 

Address of Mr. Corliss, of Michigan 19 

Address of Mr. Davidson, of Wisconsin 22 

Address of Mr. W. .A. Smith, of Michigan 26 

Address of Mr. Hamilton, of Michigan 27 

Address of Mr. Henry C. Smith, of Michigan 32 

Proceedings in the Senate 37 

Address of Mr. Burrows, of Michigan 40 

Address of Mr. Alger, of Michigan 43 



Death of Representative Crump, 



Proceedings in the House. 

February 21, 1902. 
death of hon. rousseau o. cruiip. 

Mr. Aplin. Mr. Speaker, a sad duty require.s me to announce 
to this House the death of my predecessor, the Hon. Rou.sseau 
O. Crump, late a Representative from the Tenth Congressional 
district of the State of Michigan. He died at his home in 
West Ba>' City, Mich., on the ist day of May last, and is 
mourned by all the people, not only of the district which had 
honored him by four elections to the House of Representatives, 
but of the whole State. 

I will ask the House at some later day to lay aside its 
regular work that tribute may be paid to the memory of my 
departed friend. For the present I offer the resolutions which 
I .send to the Clerk's desk. 

The Clerk read as follows: 

Resolved, That the House of Representatives has heard with profound 
sorrow of the death of Hon. RoussE-^r O. Crimp. late a Representative 
from the State of Michigan. 

Rcsoh'ed. That as a mark of respect to his memory tlie House do now 
adjourn. 

Resol'ced, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the Senate. 

The resolutions were unanimously adopted. 



6 Procccdhtg^s in the House. 

The .Speaker (at 4 o'clock and 35 minutes p. m. ). In pur- 
suance of the order of the House heretofore made, and of the 
resolution just ado]5ted, the House stands adjourned until 12 
o'clock noon on Monday next. 

Makcii 18, 1902. 

eulogies on the late representative crump. 

Mr. Aplin. Mr. .Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
Saturday, April 26, immediately following the exercises respect- 
ing the death of the late Mr. Stokes, of South Carolina, the 
House may take up and consider the re.solutions touching the 
life and character of the late Rousseau O. Crump, of 
Michigan. 

The Speaker. The gentleman from Michigan asks unani- 
mous consent that innnediately following the exercises in 
memory of the late Mr. Stokes, of South Carolina, April 26, 
exerci.ses be commenced and concluded in the memory of Mr. 
Crump, of Michigan. Is there objection? [After a pause.] 
The Chair hears none. 



MEMORIAL ADDRESSES. 

April 26, 1902. 
Mr. Aplin. Mr. Speaker, I offer the fullowing resolution.s 
wiiich I send to the Clerk's desk. 
The Clerk read as follows: 

Resolivii, That the business of the House be now suspended that oppor- 
tunity may be given for tribute to the memory of Hon. RousSE.\u O. 
Cri'MP, late a member uf the House of Representatives from the State of 
Michigan. 

Resolved, That- as a particular mark of respect to the memorv of the 
deceased, and in recognition of his eminent abilities as a distinguished 
public .servant, the House, at the conclusion of these memorial proceed- 
ings, shall stand adjourned. 

Resolved, That the Clerk comnninicate these resolutions to the Senate. 

Resolved, That the Clerk be instructed to send a copy of these resolu- 
tions to the family of the deceased. 

The resolutions were unaninionslv ai<reed to. 



Life and Character of Rousseau O. Crump. 



Address of Mr. Aplin, of Michigan. 

Mr. .Speaker: In his lifetime Rousseau O. Crump was my 
frieiid. 

The task is a sad one which devolves upon me, now that he 
is gone. 

I know that my words are feeble, but my love for him as 
well as my duty as his successor here nnpels me to pay tribute 
to his memory. 

Rousseau O. Ckujip was l^orn in Pittsford, Monroe County, 
N. Y., May 20, 1S43. 

He received his education in the pul:)lic schools of Pittsford 
and Rochester. 

When still a young man he went to Michigan and for a time 
lived in Allegan and Kalamazoo counties, engaged in the 
Unnbcr business. 

In 1 88 1 lie removed to West Bay City, where he established 
a .sawmill and box factory, and from that time until his death 
he was a prominent factor in the connnercial life of northern 
Michigan. 

He made a modest beginning in business and won his way 
to success Ijy the application of correct business principles, 
giving his personal attention to every detail of the work in 
hand and treating workinginan and customer with equal con- 
sideration and honest >', with the result that all the people 
regarded him as the embodiment of manliness and integrity. 

His best friends were those who knew him best — the men 
who worked for him in his mills. 

The reason for this was that lie was always their steadfast 
friend. 



Address of Mr. Aplin. of Michigan. g 

It was their friendship that finally forced him into public 
life. 

His inclination was not in that direction. 

He would have cho.sen to devote his energies to the great 
business which he had built up and to enjoy the fruits of his 
labors while going quietly in and out among his neighbors, 
working for their interests as well as for his own, continuing 
the kindness, the charity, the considerate care for others which 
seemed inseparable from him. 

He would have chosen not to take upon himself the cares of 
public office, whose exactions he realized would break in upon 
the quiet of his pleasant home life and require him to give up 
much of the time which he would rather spend with the mem- 
bers of his family whom he loved so well. 

Xo man was ever more blessed in his home life than was 
RoussE.\r O. Cri-mp. 

With a loving wife who had been his true helpmeet in .sun- 
shine and shadow, who had stood by him and bravely battled 
with him through the early hardships of his business career, 
with manly sons and loving daughters about him, he was 
fortunate indeed. 

When, however, his neighbors drafted him into the pul)lic 
service, he obeyed the call. 

He was elected and reelected alderman of his ward: elected 
and reelected ma>'or of his city. 

The .same energy, the same thoughtfuluess of others, the 
same fidelity to details, the same rugged honesty which had 
won success for him in business he applied in the discharge of 
his public duties. 

He was uo man's man. 

He was faithful all the time to the intere.sts of all the 
people. 



lo Life and Character of Rousseau O. Crump. 

He worked with as strict fidelity over the seemingly small 
requirements of his position as alderman as he did aftewards 
in doing the people's will as mayor and as Congressman. 

He never shirked a duty and he never failed. 

When in 1894 ^^^ was nominated for Representative in 
Congress he was of course elected, notwithstanding the large 
adverse majority- which confronted his party in the district at 
the beginning of the campaign. 

Four times he was chosen by the people of the Tenth 
Congressional district of Michigan to represent them upon this 
floor. 

That he served them well the record proves. 

He was here during critical times. 

Thoroughly grounded in the principles of the Republican 
party, he steadfastly maintained those principles while he was 
a member of the House of Representatives. 

Those who served with him here have told me that his 
influence was exerted and his vote was cast always seriously, 
con.scientiously, patriotically. 

He believed in what he did and did it because he believed 
it was the right thing to do. 

That his people approved his course they attested by their 
votes time and time again. 

He loved his people and he never failed them. 

They knew him and they trusted him implicitly. 

It is now a year lacking only five days since he died. 

Bravely had he fought for many mouths against the malady 
which had taken hold on him, but his courage did not avail. 

On the ist day of May, 1901, in his beautiful home in West 
Bay City, his loved ones at his bedside, the light of his life 
went out. 

The impending separation had brought sincerest grief both 



Address of Mr. A pi in. of Michigan. 1 1 

to him and t(i them, hut both he ami thf\- were "sustained 
and soothed \i\ an luifalterin.i; trust" and an abidin.i; faitli 
which looked forward with hope and confidence to a hap]iv 
reunion "beyond the ,a;rave in the breaking li.oht of tlie resur- 
rection morn." 

On the afternoon of May 3 we laid him to rest in Elmwood 
Cemetery. 

Thou.sands of his friend.s — the high and low, rich and poor, 
young and old — gathered at his home and followed his remains 
to the ".silent city." 

About his .grave they .stood, bowed down with .grief, no eye 
undimmed, all hearts oppres.sed, and yet all those mourning 
ones gave voiceless but sincere expression, more plainly than 
could words have done, to the pride they felt in the fact that 
Rousseau O. Crump had been their friend. 

He IS not dead, this good man whom we mourn, 
Though out of sight and hearing he has gone; 
He lives, removed from earthly care and ill. 
With stronger, holier power to bless us still. 



Life and Character of Rousseau O. Crump. 



Address of Mr. Bishop, of Michigan. 

Mr. Speaker: A portion of thi.s day has been' set apart, by 
the action of this House, to pay tribute of respect to the life, 
character, and pubhc services of the Hon. Rot'SSEAU O. Crump, 
of Michigan. 

I would be untrue to my warm friendship for him in his life- 
time and to my adnn'ration for his ability and success if I did 
not briefly on this occasion set forth .some of his characteristics 
which have most deeply impressed me. 

My acquaintance with him began after my election to the 
Fifty-fourth Congress, to which we both came as new members. 
Some men carry with them constantly a presence that invites 
your confidence, a demeanor that demands your respect, a 
simplicity that wins your love. Such was the man in whose 
memory we have this da>- met, and to whom no words of mine 
can pay fitting tribute. Xo eulogy here pronounced can satisfy 
the high demands of those who were nearest to him and those 
who knew him best during his lifetime. 

Mankind is measured by what they accomplish. Fortunately, 
under our system of government, the pathway of advancement, 
either along commercial or political lines, is open to the most 
humble youth Ijorn on American soil if he has the will to do, 
the capacity to acquire, and the soul to dare. Xo matter how 
lowly his early environments, he may a.spire to and reach the 
highest level in the field of usefulness and success, and take 
front rank in the political or business world. 

While the pathway is open to all, it is only tho.se who merit 
.success by their industry, energy, and penseverance who will 



Address of Mr. Bishop, of Micliiga?i. 13 

be permitted to thread this pathway to the highest h(_>iiors in 
any field of tisefiihiess. 

Thus we judge that the successful man has earned his 
promotions liy the presence of those qualities of mind and 
heart wliich merit any distinction he may acquire. Men are 
loved and esteemed for what they are. Men's virtues are the 
rays of a higher life shining out from the soul. These virtues 
prompt to deeds of benevolence, acts of friendship, " which are 
most wonderfully kind," but such acts make the man what he 
is and prompts the love and esteem in which some are held, no 
matter how humble in capacity the man ma>' be or how high a 
genius he may possess. 

Mr. Crump was born of the middle cla.ss, of that sturdy 
English stock which has made the history of the British Isles 
the world's history for more than tw(j centuries, and which 
carried the cross of St. George on every sea and made her flag 
respected and feared on every land. 

His father and mother came from England to tl;e United 
States in 1842 and .settled near Roche.ster, X. Y., where 
Congressman Cki'.mp was born. 

He inherited from his parents that re^•erence for good 
things; that spirit of nobility, the very grandeur of a noble 
and upright life; that hatred of meanness which despises dis- 
honesty; that reverence for the truth which is a crown of 
honor to a perfect manhood; and these traits of character 
dominated his existence from the days of his boyhood until 
the clo.se of his life. 

Armed with only a meager education, obtained at that early 
day in our public .schools, with no endowment except such as 
nature had given him in a clear intellect, strong arms, and a 
courage that never falters, he started out to win his own way 
in the world before he had yet passed the years of his youth. 



14 Life and Character of Rousseau O. Crump. 

I shall not attempt to give a history of his life, nor to follow 
him in his struggles from an apprentice boy to the time he so 
honorably and so ably represented his district in Congress, but, 
rather, will call the attention tn the House to some of the 
traits of his character which have mo.st deeply impressed me. 

He loved his home and sought to make his home lovable. 
He was a tender and an affectionate father, a loving and de- 
voted hu.sband. In his home was constant sunshine, purity, 
• and peace. He was congenial and pojnilar with his neighbors; 
tru.sted as a friend, admired as a citizen, and relied upon as 
an adviser. This is witnes.sed by the fact of his having been 
elected alderman of his ward; elected and reelected mayor of 
his city, and four times having lieen chosen as a Representative 
of his district in Congress by con.stantly increasing majorities. 

He was true to his family, true in places of public trust, 
and greater than all he was true to himself and true to his 
convictions of right and wrong. 

He was generous, pulilic-spirited, and patriotic; his gifts 
often exceeding his means, and his devotion to public duty 
often taking his time and means, which he could ill afford to 
spare from his private affairs. 

He was e.ssentiall>' patriotic. He was loyal to his cit>', to 
his State, and to his country. 

His friend.ships once formed were abiding, and no man need 
ever be ashamed to claim his friendship. When at home the 
rich and the poor, the exalted or the lowly, the laliorer in his 
mill, or the highest official, found in him a wi.se counselor, a 
worthy and a sincere friend. 

As a member of this body he was active, industiious, faith- 
ful, and useful. He thought clearly, and never betrayed, in 
the .slightest degree, the confidence imposed in him Ijy his 
constituents. He pretended to no oratory, liut could pre.sent 



Address of Mr. Bishop, of Michigan. 15 

his views ckarl\' and distinctly. Oratory is a desirable adjunct 
to a legislator, but good business capacity, honesty, and vigi- 
lance in the discharge of public duties are the most valuable 
and essential attributes to a successful and desirable legislator. 
The real value of a member of this body lies not so much in 
his oratorical ability as to his clearness of vision, his informa- 
tion on public affairs, the compass of his intellect, his integrity, 
his willingness and his capacitj' to devote every energy to the 
interests of his constituents and his country; and herein is to 
be found the greatest strength of Mr. Crump. 

The confidence which his character and his untiring energy 
inspired gave confidence to his constituency and gave him a 
wide influence upon this floor. 

He was as practical in the conduct of public affairs as he 
was in his business methods at home. 

The kindliness of his nature was an ever-present conscious- 
ness to those who met him in daily life, whether at home, 
surrounded by his family and neighbors, or in this Hall. 
Some men are a perpetual benediction to those with whom 
they come in contact, and every smile is a cheer and every 
word an encouragement. 

The comments of the public press of his district and his 
State are eloquent tributes to the husband, the father, the 
man, the citizen, the public-spirited benefactor, and the 
legislator. 

The Bay City Times-Press said: 

He seemed to be a man of the people. He had a faculty of drawing 
men to him. He was a worker in Congress, and accomplished for his 
district what many others could not do. He was a warm friend of the 
Administration, and political favors that he asked, if they were just, were" 
given to him. He was always genial and good natnred, and no matter a 
man's condition, he always gave him a hearing, and his petitions due 
consideration. He was a friend of the old soldier, and it was his aim to 
see that deserving ones throughout his district were awarded just pensions. 



i6 Life and Character of Rousseau O. Crump. 

Mr. Crump was a successful business man, a person of good morals 
and sterling integrity. When he gave his word, it could be depended 
upon. Politically he was not a partisan, and in his dealings with his 
constituents he cast politics completely aside. No man having passed to 
the great bevond ever received a greater tribute of respect from the people 
of this city than did RoussE.\u O. Crump yesterday when the last services 
were held over his remains. For several hours before the time of the 
funeral the house was visited by people anxious to pay their last tribute 
toonewhom they knew so well, even though all did not enjoy his personal 
acquaintance. 

As the time for the funeral services drew near the house was iilled with 
friends and business and political associates. Every house on llidland 
street was closed during the hour of the funeral, and the schools were 
closed for the afternoon. Mr. Crump was a conspicuous man, too, for 
his home relations. He loved his home. It was his palace, the strength 
of his life. It was there that he found his greatest consolation, there 
that he found the inspiration and the strength to do. He was a man 
among men, but was the happiest when making those nearest to him 
happv. His last thoughts were of his home, and his favorite song was 
'■ Home, Sweet Home." 

Tlie Detroit Free Press .said: 

Congressman RoussE.^u O. Crump, of the Tenth district, was one of the 
safest men the State has had in Congress for several years. He never was 
and never aspired to be a practical or professional politician in the modern 
acceptation of these terms. His enterprise, honesty, and business success 
caused his home people to place him in one position of trust after another, 
until the honors thus conferred culminated in a seat in Congress. Had the 
majority in that bodv been made up of men of like conceptions of duty to 
the people there would have been a business-like administration of affairs 
and a consequent gain to the masses. Within the scope of his opportuni- 
ties he did his work well as a Representative, and the appreciation of his 
people was attested b}- his continuance in office with increased majorities. 
His business line had been lumber, and his business monument is one of 
the largest manufacturing establishments of its kind in the United States. 
In private life he was a man deserving of the many friends that he made 
and of the prosperity that he enjoyed. 

The Oscoda Press said: 

Congressman RousSE.\U O. Crump was a plain man. He attained emi- 
nence by ability and hard work, being noted for his energy and push, 
accompanied by fair and honest dealing, and having the respect of all 
with whom he came in contact. For thirty years a large employer of 
labor, he never had a strike nor any difficulty with his workingmen. 



Address of Mr. Bishop, of .Un/i/nan. 17 

The Coleman Independent said: 

In the death of Congressman Crump the people of this district have 
lost an earnest, conscientious Representative, one who was ever ready to 
do anything in his power for the people he represented. As a friend he 
was most loyal, and throughout the district, during his long career as 
Congressman, he made many personal friends, who learned to respect and 
admire him for his many noble qualities, and his death has brought deep 
regret to all. 

The Bay City Tribune .said: 

Bay city people knew Congressman Crump as a big-hearted, whole- 
souled, progressive, and broad-minded man. Companionable in his deal- 
ings witli his fellows, of infle.xible integrity and well-grounded principles, 
he was a man among men. The community sorrows in his death. 

In his public service he was keenly aliVe to the interests of his constitu- 
ents. .\ thorough-going American, his career was marked by rugged 
devotion to the welfare of his people and loyalty to what he conceived to 
be the better policies for the greater number of the citizens of the nation. 
Xo discredit attaches to any of his public acts. 

The Tribune joins with those who will lament the death of RoussE.\U 
O. Crump. U])on his coffin is placed the tribute deserved bvhis life, and 
tenders the family of the dead citizen and legislator the sincere condolence 
of an entire community. 

The Alpena Evening Xews said: 

In the death of Congressman Crump northern Michigan loses one of ■ 
her most honored and respected citizens. Xo public man in Michigan 
has been so kindly spoken of by the press of Michigan as was the late 
RoussE.\u O. Crump. The people looked upon him as a business man 
rather than a politician, and it is generally conceded that it was to his 
credit to be so compared. 

Concerning Mr. Cru.mp'.s religiou.s views I know but little. 
A man's; professions are not always the fairest judgment of hi.s 
character or faith. Judging him from his life and works, the 
atmosphere of his daily living, he most fairly represented the 
true .spirit and teachings of the Great Master — that spirit of 
charity for all mankind "which snffereth long and is kind, 
which thinketh not of him.self , but of the welfare and happiness 
of others" — that unselfi.shness which shines like a star in the 
heavens and marks the true spirit of Christian living; that love 
H. Doc. 462 2 



1 8 Life and Character of Rousseau O. Crump. 

of God's creatures whicli shuts out greed and selfishness and 
envy and malice. There was no room in his great heart for 
jealousy, which warps the intellect, stifles friendship, and dwarfs 
every kindly impulse to do good unto others. 

He .sat in judgment on no man; he imputed evil to none. If 
not a professor, he was a possessor of tho.se great virtues which 
adorn the Christian name, and which has lifted the world up to 
the great plane of the brotherhood and fraternity of the human 
race, which is the nearest approach to I)i\-init\-. 

I was present at his burial and saw the great concourse of peo- 
ple who. with bowed heads, followed his remains to their last 
re.sting place. There no one asked his creed. He had left as his 
creed the flowers of love and charity scattered all along his path- 
way of life, and men and women and little children of all creeds 
came and stood over his grave and gave it the tribute and gentle 
benediction of their tear.s. The world is better for his having 
lived in it. 



Address of Mr. Corliss, of Mic/n'ga?i. ig 



Address of Mr. Corliss, of Michigan. 

Mr. Speaker: We have met to note the passage of a hiiniaii 
life, to pay a sincere tribute of respect and esteem to one who 
was once a companion of our daily hfe. 

It is fitting that we .should lay aside for a time the ordinary 
transaction of the public business and present for general good 
those ennobling lessons we have learned from one who "no 
longer lists to war's alarms or pulsates with feeling when the 
pleasing notes of the harp strike the .strings of perfect harmony. ' ' 
It is meet and proper that in this hour, so fittingly given for 
this purpose, we should perpetuate the glories of that life, now 
ended, and place upon the permanent records of this body our 
tribute of love. 

RorssEAU O. Crump represented in this body, as in his 
entire life, those traits of sturdy, .steadfast manhood which never 
rise to brilliant, lightning flashes, but shine on and shine ever 
by tireless endeavor and never-failing faithfulness. 

It was not given to him to .stir the echoes of this chamber by 
spoken word, nor by flashing wit to hold enthralled the minds 
of his fellow-men. His part was of a different sort, but not 
less noble nor of less enduring worth. He left a record of 
honest, sterling merit .so deeply graven on the memory and 
lives of his fellows that nothing but death can efface it. He 
has left shining examples of manhood that will have an effect 
on our -lives so long as we shall remain upon earth, and, if 
faithful, shall go down, tlirough their influence on us, to those 
who follow after. Xo man is .so poor in results but that some 



20 Life and Character of Rousseau O. Crump. 

word or act lives after him in the minds of his friends to influ- 
ence them, and. through them, for good or otherwise all those 
with whom the\' come into contact. 

Particularly rich in lessons of .good was the life and influence 
of m_v late colleague. 

If deeds of kindness can make life a success then Mr. Crump's 
life was singularly successful and happy, for he ever labored to 
do justly by otliers. That great, kindly personality did not 
deeds of evil; that rugged mind never harbored even thought 
of evil toward his fellow-men, and that warm, generous heart 
ever beat in true unison with charity, the queen of the graces, 
in thouglit, word, and action, and refused to .see evil in others, 
or, .seeing appearance of evil, refused to believe that good was 
not somewhere hidden. 

Mr. Crump's course in this House, as in every walk of life, 
was such that no man ever pointed the finger of objection nor of 
censure to a single act of his, and in his reply to that mandate 
of the Supreme Master of the Universe, which all of us must 
some time hear, he cheerfully laid aside the armor of battle, 
and with fortitude and humilit>" passed from earth to that 
better land ' ' where tlie weary be at rest. ' ' 

Of uo one more than Mr. Crump could it be said, in the 
language of the proverb, " vSeest thou a man diligent in busi- 
ness, he .shall stand before kin.gs." He did with his might 
what his hands found to do, and no one ever doulated where 
our companion would be found when duty sounded its clarion 
call and conscience pointed the path. 

He never faltered in the faith of his fathers, and when 
fidelity to principle clashed with .selfi.sh, personal interests 
there was no hesitancy, no backward glances of regret, nor 
wavering from the line which dut^■ marked. 



Address of Mr. Corliss, of Michigan. 21 

Possessing the rich heritage of birth, a mind of unusual dis- 
cernment of right and wrong; trained from boyhood that there 
was but one \va\-, and that to follow the straight and narrow 
path, "though rough the way and coarse the fare," he not 
only li\ed those precepts in his daily life of every hour and 
every year, but so lived them that they .shone through his 
every action and reflected their luster and their influence upon 
us and all wlm knew him. To him the pathway was ever 
clear, and the beams of God's directing light illumined the 
path and inspired his hopes and deeds. 

Few knew him as a deep .student of the "Book of Books," 
yet such he was, and in his travels from home he was never 
without his well-kept copy for constant perusal 

Here in the House we ever knew where to find him, and I 
doubt if any man was more often at his post of duty, in 
conunittee or on the floor, than our late colleague. None ever 
had need to ask as to Air. Crump. He had ingrained in his 
sturdy nature that old-fashioned notion that lie was here for a 
definite purpose, to repre.sent those who sent him, and that it 
was his duty to be here at all times and to keep the faith, as he 
understood it. Richly possessed with that God-given attribute 
of " uncommon common sense," he went his way in peace and 
contentment with all the world, ever .satisfied when he had 
done the best he could do, and alwa>s contented if he met 
the commendation of his own conscience. 



22 Life and Character of Rousseau O. Crump. 



Address of Mr. Davidson, of Wisconsin. 

Mr. Speaker; Again have we assembled for the purpose of 
paying due and proper respect to the memory of a deceased 
member. The death of Rot'SSEAu O. Crump, the Represent- 
ative from the Tenth Congressional district of Michigan, was a 
loss not only to the vState of Michigan, but to the country 
as well. His advancement in public life was the inevitable 
sequence of his commercial career. Born in New Ytirk in 
May, 1843, he grew to manhood amid surroundings and in a 
societv which developed his best characteristics and laid the 
foundation for an iK.inorolile and successful future. \\'ith keen 
and discerning eye he discovered the possibilities for advance- 
ment in the developing West, and in 1S81 he removed to Bay 
City, Mich., where he resided until the time of his death. 

He took with him to his new home an honest purpo.se to 
succeed, an earnest intention to do right, a conscientious 
determination to .so conduct himself as to merit the esteem 
and confidence of his neighbors and of his associates. His 
determination to remove from the land of his birth to a newer 
and more rapidly developing section i:)f the country was the 
best evidence of his ambitious spirit and his firm purpose to 
make the most of the opportunities which came to him. He 
at different times occupied public positions in his city and 
vState, and was first elected to the National Congress in 1S94. 
His reelection in 1896, 1S98, and 1900 is strong evidence of 
the respect and confidence impo.sed in him fiy his constituents, 
and we, who know of his work here, can cheerfully testify 
to the fact that the confidence of his constituents was not 
misplaced. 



AcM/rss of Mr. Davidson, of Wisconsin. 23 

His death was particularly snd to me by reason of the fact 
that I had been associated with him on the Committee on 
Railways and Canals and had become <|uite intimate with him 
on account of that relationship. In committee he was always 
genial, kind, and considerate: always con.scientious and honest; 
always ready to perform any duty impo.sed upon him, no 
matter how onerous: always striving to perfect propcsed legis- 
lation, so that the rights of the citizen and the best interests 
of all the people would be subserved. 

Probably one of the .strongest temptations which be.set a 
member of this House is the desire to secure legi.slation which 
will be of direct and positi\-e lienefit to his constituents. 
Sometimes he is strongly tempted to secure legislation which 
may be only for the benefit of his constituents. I believe the 
great majority of the members of this House earnestly try to 
represent their constituents and to vote upon important legis- 
lation as their constituents desire them to do. A menibtr 
must not forget, however, that he is not here solely for the 
purpose of securing legislation for his constituents. While 
he directly represents the people of a certain district and is 
expected to do that wliich will meet with their approval, yet 
in the higher, broader sen.se he is the repre.sentative of all the 
people and is equally bound to support legislation which he 
believes will be for the benefit of the whole country. 

We who are honored with nienil)ership in this House are 
charged with the responsibility of not only .so discharging our 
duty as to reflect honor upon those who liave sent us here, 
but as well so that the nation as a whole may be benefited. 
While I honor the Representati\-e who earnestly strives to 
reflect the wishes of his constituents, yet I more highlv honor 
him who recognizes the fact that we are not here .solely to 
secure legislation for our immediate localitj^ but are charged 



24 Life and Characlcr of Koiisscau O. Crump. 

with legislating for a great people — citizens of a great country. 
I have been led to make this suggestion because in paying 
my tribute to the memory of Representative Crump I want 
to say that in my opinion no member of this House ever tried 
more honestly and earnestly to fulfill his high duty to all the 
people than did he; that no member ever tried more earnestly 
to secure the passage of measures which would be of benefit 
to the whole country and to all the people of the country than 
did he. 

While he faithfully represented his district, and while he 
always kept in mind the wishes of his constituents, yet, .so far 
as I know, when it came to a question of the welfare of the 
country, the country that he loved and honored, he was always 
found upon its side striving to do his whole duty in promoting 
its welfare. Such men leave their imprint upon the records of 
the country. Such men build not for themselves, but for tho.se 
who come after them, and the country will ahva>s cherish the 
memory of those who have devoted their energy and their 
talents to the advancement of its best interests. 

I had the honor to be appointed as a member of the connnit- 
tee to represent this House at the funeral of Representative 
Crump. Absence from home prevented my receiving the notice 
of such appointment in time to reach West Bay City in time for 
the funeral. I regret this, as I should have been glad to have 
joined with the memljers of the Michigan delegation and with 
others who gathered at the home of Mr. Crujip and who st(jod 
reverently by his grave bowing their heads in token of their 
appreciation of his worth. I should have esteemed it an honor 
to have been al)le to have dropped upon his grave a sprig of 
evergreen as a token of my friendshij) for him and in memory 
of his kindly conduct toward me. 

He has pas.sed on. He has gone to ' ' that realm from which 



Address of Mr. Davidson, of Wisconsin. 25 

no traveler ever returns." He has sulved the mysteries of that 
"great unknown," concerning which we know so Uttle. He 
has left behind a family who deepl>' mourn his death and 
toward whom we, his friends, extend most generously our 
sympathy. He left behind a large circle of friends and asso- 
ciates, of brothers in societies of different names, all of wlmni 
will not soon forget his many kindly attentions, his deeds of 
generosity, his words of welcome and of praise — who will not 
.soon forget the example of his noble life and sterling qualities. 
They are the richer because of their fellowship with him. They 
are the better because of their association with him. Thus can 
it be truthfull>' .said, he did not live nor did he die in vain. 
His life and character stand as beacon lights, pointing the way 
to an honorable career for those who believe in honesty, in 
morality, in justice. 



26 Life and Character of Rousseau O. Crump. 



ADDRESS OF Mr. W. a. Smith, of Michigan. 

Mr. vSpeaker: This day has been set apart as a mark of 
respect for the memory of two of our distinguished colleagues. 
The South and the North unite in pacing tribute to faithful 
public officials with whom we have had the honor to serve. 

South Carolina brings its garland of flowers and bestows 
upon her honored son well-merited praise. 

Michigan publicly manifests its deep .sorrow over the death 
of an able, conscientious, and lovable character, represented in 
the attractive personality of Rousseau O. Crump. 

We entered Congress together .strangers to this great and 
limitless field of public activity. We early found con.solation 
in one another, and the disappointments which be.set this work 
were easier to bear because of his lovable counsel and his 
unperturbed disposition. I love to think of him here in this 
historic chamber, quietly, modestly performing his duty with 
no thought of per.sonal aggrandizement or vainglory. Kind, 
thoughtful, and indulgent; generous, manly, and independent 
in thought and in action, he was a worthy Representative, an 
honor to his district, his State, and his countr>-. 

I never knew him to say an unkind word of any man, and 
when sickness came upon him he carried his heavy burden 
alone without complaining; and even tho.se most intimately 
associated with him here did not realize that the citadel of his 
life had been attacked liy unrelenting and incurable disea.se. 

He met his fate with sturdy heroism, sublime courage, and 
.splendid faith. 

We are richer because of his friendship, and Michigan is 
proud of his untarnished name. He has contributed to the 
lofty character of our citizenship, and his memor>- uill long 
linger among us as a delightful lienediction. 



Address of Mr. Hamilton, 0/ Michigan. 27 



Address of Mr. Hamilton, of Michigan. 

Mr. Speaker: "While we are reasoninj^ coucernin.s: life it 
is gone." 

The last time I saw Mr. Crump alive Vas near the close of 
the last Congress. 

He was then in feeble health, but .still hopeful. 

When next I .saw him he was lying in .state in a bank of 
of flowers at his home at West Bay City, with the afternoon 
sunlight of a May day shining across the coffin where he lay 
waiting for the silence of the grave. 

The glory of spring was in the air. Nature was beginning 
over again, but springtime and autumn, seedtime and harvest 
were alike to him. 

Life was over and the man was deaii. 

Whether he had reached the beginning of knowledge or the 
end there was no sign. 

In the calendar of the infinite, without beginning and without 
end, where our uttermost past is but current history, human 
life seems small and human events insignificant. 

Into the mouth of one of his characters Tolstoi jiuts the.se 

words: 

In the infinity of time, matter, space, an organic cell forms— lasts a 
moment, perishes; that cell is myself. 

It is singular about this cell, though. Whether we accept 
the Old Testament version of creation or not, still it is true 
that this "organic cell" has dominion, over all the rest of 
creation. 



28 Life and Character of Rousseau O. Crump. 

This "organic cell" has made the sea a highway, tunneled 
mountains, and annihilated time and space. 

Through the avenues of its five senses it has solved some- 
thing of the mystery of time, matter, and space around it. 

If it liad more means of perception doubtless more would 
be perceived. 

There were solar systems before Copernicus worked out his 
theory: there was gravitation before Newton took a hint from 
the falling apple, and there was electricity before it flashed 
down Franklin's kite string, bitt man had not perceived these 
things. 

The truth has always existed, but man has not always been 
able to perceive the truth. Man's ability to perceive the truth 
has chau.ged from generation to generation. It would be 
foolish to suppose there is nothin,g left to be discovered. 

Around us always is an unknown universe. We emerge 
from it on one side, cross the stage of life, and disappear into 
it on the other side. It is not difficult to believe that what we 
call death is but a continuance and transition, although we can 
not prove it by reasoning. 

This makes the "organic cell" sublime: makes life an 
opportunity: makes the hopes, pas.sions, poetry, logic, and 
all the lower traits of man that minister to them of tremen- 
dous importance. 

And. so. when we stand by the open grave, where all arti- 
ficial human distinctions sink into insignificance, the question 
is. What of the man? What .sort of personalitv has this 
' ' organic cell ' ' taken on ? 

It is certain we can take nothing away with us unless it be 
what we are. And althou.gh the mental and physical feeble- 
ness of senility puzzles the logic of those who believe in the 



Address of Mr. Hamilton, of Michigan. 29 

theory of progression, still unless there be progression the 
discipline which makes us what we are would seem illogical, 
and all our fights with beasts at Ephesus and beasts wilhiii us 
would seem a cruel farce. 

After a man dies the statutes of descent and distribution 
and the probate cotirt take care of his possessions. 

As to his position in history, that depends on whulher he 
has been conspicuous enough to catch the historian's eye, and 
after he has caught the historian's eye his position depends a 
good deal on the mental bias of the historian. 

We are not historians here. Like Marc Antony, 'I only 
speak right on: I tell you that which you yourselves do know." 

I liked Mr. Crump while li\-ing, and I honor his memory 
now that he is dead. 

What I have to say of him I say with candor, just as I know 
he would like to have me say it, just as I would like to have 
him speak of me if I were there and he here. 

He was an honest gentleman, incapal)le of littleness. He 
never tried to collect dividends from friendship. He w'as 
always generous, charitable, true, and modest. He always 
spoke kindly of others. He never kept a private rack whereon 
to break the reputations of his acquaintances. 

He never made conversation out of the misfortunes of others. 
He bought no pleasure with another's pain. His word alwaj-s 
informed you what he meant to do. He never tried to be 
.somebody else. He never had two sets of opinions, one 
ostensible, the other real. 

He was not a showy man. He was destitute of the art of 
duplicity or of po.sing. He was without affectation. We 
always knew where to find him, and we all liked him. 

His heart was big and kind. 



30 Life and Character of Rousseau O. Crump. 

As Tho/eau once said of John Brown, "He might have 
left a Greek accent slanting the wrong way, but he would 
have righted up a fallen man." 

He had no craft of rhetoric. 

He expressed him.self more in deeds than words, but he had 
strong literary leanings. 

He admired Burns not for the purpose of giving himself 
a literary tone, but because he found in Burns the winged 
expression of his own feeling. 

In his earlier years he had been a millwright and builder. 
He had tipon his hands the honorable .scars of his earlier 
occtipation. 

He remembered the way by which he had come and sym- 
pathized with his fellow-man along the way. He never tried 
to put up a barrier of false dignity. The people felt that he 
was one of them. 

Later in life he became the employer of labor in large 
industries, and the men who worked for him were always his 
friends. He was a successful man in what the world calls 
success. He had acquired property and worldly position. He 
hekl his way with honor and fair dealing to the end. 

In days of old it is .said there were historians who wrote as 
they were bribed. Of one Paulus Jovius it was said that he 
kept a ' ' bank of lies. " " To tho.se who paid him liberally he 
a.ssigned a iioble pedigree and illustrious deeds: tho.se who 
paid nothing he vilified and blackened." 

In modern political life we sometimes see things analogous 
to Paulus Jovius' s bank of lies, but when a man is gone the 
tongues of those who can neither gain nor lose by praise or 
detraction are silent. 

In the presence of death all the littleness, meanness, innu- 
endo, sycophancy, and tin.sel glorification which frequently 



.■l(/cf>rss of Mr. Hamilion. of Michii^an. 31 

hover around a political career fade away, and the reputation 
of the dead stands for what it is. 

In the presence of death crowns are hut yellow metal and 
purple robes but food for moths. 

Men take on their true proportions in the republic of the 
c;rave, no matter what their tomb.stones .say. 

Judged b\- the Sermon on the Mount, judged l>y the Ten 
Commandments, judged by eternal .standards, RorssEAU O. 
Cki'.mp will bear the judgment well. 



Life and Character oj Rousseau O. Crump. 



Address of Mr. Henry C. Smith, of Michigan. 

Mr. Speaker: When the hammer fell closing the mortal 
career of Rousseau O. Crump, Representative from the Tenth 
Congressional district of Michigan, it marked the end of the 
active life of a good man. And goodness, after all, is the 
supreme test. Wherever in life we find a great man, a man 
truly great, who leaves a lasting mark upon his day and time, 
we find a good man. And .such was Mr. Crump, upon whose 
life and character we meet this day to place a meager estimate 
in enduring form in the records of this Hou.se. 

From memory's rich storehouse we recall the tender eye, the 
beaming face, the warm hand pressure, the mellow voice, the 
form of ease and grace, the manly man, who wrought mightily 
for his district, his State, and the nation. Loved by friends, 
lionored by neighbors, and respected by all, he left a cherished 
memory. He lived without a foe and died without an enemy, 
yet in every call upon him he did a man's part. 

Early in 'life he came to Michigan and .saw at once in her 
inland seas, surrounding her like a zone of beauty, which draw 
the frosts from the air, so that the breezes fall .soft as Eden on 
the iDeach, the apple, tlie grape, and the pear: he saw her 
wealth of primeval forests, her niines, richer in enduring wealth 
than the diamond fields of vSouth Africa and the mines of Gol- 
conda combined: he saw her great water power, with strength 
sufficient to turn the machinery of a continent, .salt wells which 
might .supply the world, a soil that yields bountifully to the 
touch of the farmer, a climate that stinuilates toil; he saw in 
projihetic vision Michigan someday to be the world's workshop; 



.-IMtrss of Mr. J/iiirv C. Sinitli. of Mir/iioan. ,-^3 

he saw her schools, her university, her churches at e\-ery tiuni 
of the road; and here he came to hve and to thrive. He 
watched the growth of the State, and with proud confidence 
saw and told of her future. He put the plummet line upon 
lier matchless resources and watched with patience for her 
development. Her lakes were his friends, her forests were his 
companions. The hununing machinery of her mills was music 
rare to him, for above the anthem he saw happy homes. 

He would not have us say nuich, but such a life must not 
pa.ss without notice. What I shall say to-day I would say in 
words as simple as his nature, as sincere as my affection foi 
him to whose memory we pay brief tribute. 

His work was without bluster. He went straight to the 
point, and so many times he won where others would have 
failed. He grew up from the ranks of the common people. 
He stole into our affection as a gentle May? as the birds mate, 
as the flowers open; his kindne.ss came as comes the song of 
the Itird, as comes the fragrance of flowers. There was no one 
to smooth his pathway in life and make it easy; he wrought 
for himself and for all about him. He had to work for all he 
had. He was a student in the great workshop of human toil. 
He had that rare- distinctive gift, God's best gift to man, 
common sense, common sense instructed, common .sense 
instructed by experience. He did kind deeds almost l)y 
stealth; he was as artless as a child, yet in the things he stood 
for he was as unyielding as flint and true as steel — true in 
his devotion to principle, in his absorbing love of truth, in 
his integrity of mind. With courage undaunted he waged 
the battle of life without a helping hand and won with full 
measure of success. 

Wealth did not narrow him. He had all the advantages 
of poverty without the burden of it. He grew up among 
H. Doc. 4b2 3 



34 Life and Charac/cr of Fonsseail O. Crump. 

those who struggled, sharing their conmioii lot. He held the 
most boundless of gifts, better far than great riches — a strong 
body, a healthy mind, good nature, a gentle spirit, a manly 
ambition. I count it good fortune that a boy is born poor, 
for, after all. this world is governed in mind and in morals 
by those who must toil to win: by tho.se gifts of mind and 
character best disciplined under the pressure of povert>' and 
work. 

He looked the workl in the eye. Frank and true, the 
people knew just where to find him; he concealed nothing. 

Socially, he was bashful; a modest, lovable man. A fonder 
husband, a tenderer father, never lived, and he had ample 
reward in the unabated love of wife and children. 

How aptly we ma}- say with little Xell: 

When I die put .something near nie that loved the Hght and had the sky 
above it always. 

I can not do better than to quote a poem which expresses 
the controlling sentiment of his life: 

There are hermit souls that live withdrawn in the place of their self-content. 
There are souls like stars that dw-ell apart in a fellowless firmament. 
There are pioneer souls that blaze their way where highways never ran; 
But let nie live by the side of the road and be a friend of man. 
I watch from my house by the side of the road, by the side of the highwav 

of life. 
The men who press on with the ardor of hope and those who fall faint with 

the strife; 
But I turn not aside for their smiles or their tears — both parts of an infinite 

plan — 
Just let nie live tiy the side of the road and be a friend of man. 
Just let nie live by the side of the road where the race of men go by: 
Thev are good, they are bad, they are weak, tliey are strong, wise, foolish, 

and so am I. 
Then wh\' should I sit in the scorner's seat or hurl the C3-nic's ban; 
Just let me live by the side of the road and be a friend of man. 

He knelt at the shrine of the jieople, and they knighted 
hint and crowned him with a crown mure lasting and enduring 



Address of Mr. Henry C. Smith, of A/iehigan. 35 

than all of earth's richest diadems, an affectionate regard and 
high esteem of all who knew him. And now that the book is 
closed, the account made up, we may say that he had the liest 
of all rewards — the feeling that he played a man's part in the 
affairs of his time and left a name and a memory which wife 
and children will reverence and cherish. 

I shall always hold it a fortunate circumstance in my life that 
I was permitted to enjoy his friendship. 

Humbly I pay this meager tribute to his memory. He lived 
well a life of usefulness, of houorable distinction, of worthy 
example. 

We of the Christian faith believe that the power he laid 
down here lie has taken up over there; that he has passed 
from attainment here to higher attainment over there; from 
conquest here to larger conquest over there: from love here to 
richer love over there; from faith here to stronger faith over 
there. He sleeps the sleep of the just. 

We peer beyond the shadows, but we can not see; and yet 
the cable of human hope carries on the eyangile of our faith, 
and over it is carried our message of love to those who have 
passed beyond, and to the living comes back the faith that 
cheers us all. 

Mr. Aplin. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
general leave to print eulogies on the late Representative 
Crump be granted for thirty days. 

The Speaker pro tempore (Mr. HLshopi. The gentleman 
from Michigan asks unanimous consent that general lea\-e to 
print eulogies on the late Representative Crump be granted 
for thirty days. Is there olijection? 

There was no objection. 



36 Life a7id Character of RoiisseaK O. Crump. 

The vSpeaker prci tempore. In accordance with the reso- 
lution already adopted, and as a further mark of respect to the 
memory of the deceased, the House will now adjourn. 

Accordingly (at 4 o'clock and 5 minutes) the House ad- 

jciu''ned. 

February 16, 1903. 

message from the senate. 

The message also ann(iunced that the Senate had passed the 
following resoltition : 

Resolved, That the Senate has heard with profound sorrow the announce- 
ment of the death of the Hon. Rousseau O. Crump, late a Representative 
from the State of Michigan. 

Resolved, That the business of the Senate be now suspended in order that 
fitting tribute may be paid to the private and public virtues of the deceased. 

Resolved, That as a further mark of respect the Senate, at the conclusion 
of these ceremonies, do adjourn. 

Resolved , That the -Secretary communicate these resolutions to the House 
of Representatives. 



Proceedings in the Senate. 

February 22, 1902. 

message from the house. 

The message further communicated to the Senate the intelH- 
geuce of the death of Hon. RoussE.\u O. Crump, late a Repre- 
sentative from the State of Michigan, and transmitted re.soUi- 
tions of the House thereon. 

February 25, 1902. 
death of representative crump. 

Mr. McMillan. Mr. President, I a.sk the Chair to lay be- 
fore the Senate the resolutions from the House of Representa- 
tives in relation to the death of Hon. Rousseau O. Crump, my 
late colleague in that body. 

The President pro tempore. The Chair lays before the 
Senate resolutions of the House of Representatives, which will 
l)e read. 

The Secretary read the re.solutions of the House of Represent- 
atives, as follows: 

In the House of Represent.\tives, Ffbrnary ji , i<)02. 

Resolved, That the House of Representative.s has heard with profound 
sorrow of the death of Hon. RoussE-'^r O. Crump, late a Representative 
from tlie State of Jlichigan. 

Resolved, That as a mark of respect to his meninry l!ie Hou.-ie ilo nmv 
adjourn. 

Resolved, That the Clerk communieale these re.snlutions to the Senate. 

Mr. McMillan. Mr. President, I offer the resolutions which 

I send to the de.sk, and ask unanimous consent for their 

immediate cousideratioiL 

37 



•^S Life and Character of Rousseau O. Crump. 

The President pn? tempore. The resohitioiis \\\\\ be re;ul. 
The Secretary read the resohitioiis, as follows: 

Rcsulvcd. That the Senate has heard with deep sensibiHty the an- 
nouncement of the death of Hon. RorssKAr o. CarMP, late a Repre- 
.sentative from the State of Michigan. 

Resolved, That as an additional mark of respect tu the memory of the 
deceased the Senate ilo now adjourn. 

The resolutions were unauiinously atjreed to; and, under the 

second resolution, the Senate (at 12 o'clock and 12 minutes 

p. m. ) adjourned until to-morrow, Wednesday, February 26, 

1902, at 12 o'chick meridian. 

April 28, 1902. 

mess.vr.e from the house. 

The message further transmitted to the Senate resolutions of 
the House of Representatives commemorative of the life and 
services of the Hon. RorssE.w O. CRfMi'. late a Representa- 
tive from the State of Michigan. 

Febku.vkv 14., 1903. 

memoki.vl .\ddresses t)x the i..\te represext.\tive crcirp. 

Mr. P)fRROWs. Mr. I're.sident, I desire to give notice that 
at the close of eulogies to-day upon the life and character of 
Amos J. Cummings, late a Representative from the State of New 
York, I .shall submit resolutions commemorative of the life and 
character of RorssE.\T- O. Crump, late a Representative from 
the State of Michigan. 



MEMORIAL ADDRESSES, 

February 14, 1903. 

Mr. Burrows. Mr. President, I a.sk to have laid before the 
Senate the resohitions of the House of Repre.sentatives on the 
death of Hon, Rousseau O. Crujip, late a Representative from 
the State of Michigan. 

The Presidext pro tempore. The resolutions of the House 
of Representatives will be read. 

The Secretary read the resolutions, as follows: 

In the House of Represext.\tives, April 26, igo2. 

Resolved, That the business of the House be now suspended, that oppor- 
tunity may be given for tribute to the memory of Hon. Rousseau O. 
Crump, late a member of the House of Representatives from the State of 
Michigan. 

Resolved, That as a particular mark of respect to the memory of the 
deceased, and in recognition of his eminent abilities as a distinguished 
public .ser\-ant, the House, at the conclusion of these memorial proceed- 
ings, shall stand adjourned. 

Resolved, That the Clerk conununicate these resolutions to the Senate. 

Resolved, That the Clerk be instructed to send a copy of these resolu- 
liiins to the family of the deceased. 

Mr. Burrows. Mr. President, I offer the resolutions which 
I send to the desk. 

The President pro tempore. The Secretary will read the 
resolutions sttbmitted by the Senator from Michigan. 

The Secretary read the re.solutions, as follows: 

Resolved. That the Senate has heard with profound sorrow the announce- 
ment of the death of the Hon. RousSEAU O. Cr;:mp, late a Representative 
from the State of Jlichigan. 

Resolved, That the business of the Senate be now suspendcil in order 
that fitting tribute may be paid to the private and public \irtues of the 
deceased. 

Resolved, That as a further mark of respect the Senate, at the conclu- 
sion of these ceremonies, do adjourn. 

Resolved, That the Secretary communicate these resolutions to th; 

Hou.se of Representatives. 

59 



40 Life and Character of Rousseau O. Crump. 



ADDRESS OF Mr. Burrows, of Michigan. 

Mr. President: For the second time during this Congress 
the State of Michigan has been called upon to mourn the lo.ss 
of a Representative in the National Congress, and we pause a 
moment to-day in the midst of the pressing duties incident to 
the closing hours of this session to pay tribute to the memory 
of Rousseau O. Crump, late a Representative in Congress 
from the Tenth district in Michigan. He was born in New 
York in 1S43, of English parentage, and died in 1902, at the 
age of 59 years. 

His entire life was devoted to business pursuits, and in 1S81, 
after making ventures in Minnesota and other Western States, 
he .settled in Bay City, Mich., which continued to be his home 
until the da}- of his death. He at once launched upon the 
business of manufacttiring, and, pursuing that vocation steadily 
for twenty years, accumulating a moderate fortune, he acquired 
a practical knowledge of affairs which served him well in the 
performance of the then unforeseen duties of after years. His 
bu.siness interests and occupation necessarily brought him in 
daily contact with the laboring people, of whom he was a 
large employer, and nothing more forceful exemplifies his 
kindly spirit and generosity than the fact that while the 
relations between capital and labor have sometimes been 
strained, such was his generous treatment of his men, and 
such their confidence in him, in his integrity and fair dealing, 
that he never had a strike in his factories. It was .said of him 
that he was known throughout all northern Michigan as one 
of the fairest dealers with labor. 

His men believed in him, and felt and realized that, whate\-er 



- Address of Mr. Burnncs, of Michigan. 41 

tlifir wages, tlicir employer was dealins;- as liberally with iheiu 
as the business would permit. It is probable the hold he thus 
acquired and retained upon the laboring people suggested his 
candidacv for public office, and the belief was that the laboring 
people not only of his own city liut of the district would give 
him their united and enthusiastic support. In this calculation 
there was no mistake. He was elected alderman in his own 
ward for four years, twice chosen mayor of his home city, fol- 
lowed by an election to Congress from the Tenth Congre.ssional 
district, composed of fifteen counties, for four consecutive terms. 
The.se expressions of confidence evidence the hold he had upon 
his people, which he retained until the hour of his death. He 
redeemed the di.strict from the domination of the opposition and 
held it with an ever-increasing majority. 

Going with him through his district in several campaigns in 
which he was engaged, I was always impressed with the evi- 
dences on every hand of the attachment of the plain people, and 
they followed him with an abiding faith in his inte.grity of pur- 
pose and his goodness of heart. He was a member of many 
fraternal organizations, in all of which he was ever faithful to 
his obligations, and held an enviable position and proved him- 
self worthy of all confidence. He was a Republican in his 
political faith, and while others at times were swept off their 
feet by public clamor, he .steadily adhered to his party faith, 
never faltering or deviating from the line of his convictions. 
By his death the district he represented has lost a faithful 
pulilic servant and his associates a valuable friend. I can not 
more fittingly close this brief tribute than by quoting the words 
of his pastor on the occasion of his funeral. Mr.' PatchcU 
.said: 

We are here to lay away what is left of one whom we knew as a man. 
I use the term advisedlv. for it covers a creation of our Goil. We knew 

H. Doc. 462 4 



42 Life and Charcicler of RoKsseau O. Crump. 

him last week as one who commanded the respect of the community for 
his uprightness, his nobility. The newspapers and his political friends 
knew him in public life better than I do, and he compelleil their respect 
because he was a man. Only yesterday a sympathizing friend said. " If a 
man went to R. O. Crimp and asked for a special favor and the latter 
could not grant it, his very refusal would be couched in such terms (and 
to refuse at all w^as evidently so hard for him) that one went away feeling 
that to have received that refusal were better than not to have asked 
at all." 

Mr. Cri'MP was a conspicuous man, too, for his home relations. He 
loved his home. It was his palace, the .strength of his life. It was there 
that he found his greatest consolation, there that he found the in.spiration 
and his strength to do. He was a man among men, but was the happiest 
when making those nearest to him happy. His last thoughts were of his 
home, and his favorite song was " Home, Sweet Home." 

To the melody of that song his soul reposes to-day in its 

eternal home. 



LSiVj\/'Qi 



Address of Mr. A/gtr, of .]Jh/iiga)i. 43 



Address of Mr Alger, of Michigan. 

]\Ir. President: It was my good fortune to know quite inti- 
tnatelv- Rousseau O. Crump, former menil.ier of Congress from 
the Tenth district of my State. 

He was one of those quiet, unostentatious, sterling men, who 
pursued his course in life with a firmness and a sin,gleness of 
purpose that always brings succe.ss. His word and his bond 
were alike — always good. 

He had the confidence of the jieople of his State and district, 
as shown by his election to Congress. By his energv he 
assisted very largely in the development of his State. 

He was what America boasts of most — a self-made man. 

When a man enters life's battle, lives uprightly, fills his 
allotted place with integrity, with force, with due regard for 
those with whom he associates, who puts forth his every energy 
to make himself useful to the State during that life, he has 
filled its measure to the brim. 

Mr. Platt of Connecticut. Mr. President, I move the adop- 
tion of the several resolutions which have been considered this 
afternoon. 

The resolutions were unanimously agreed to. 

o 



